ADF, including Reservists, has been providing aid to the civil authorities for ever. Precisely what hasn’t been sorted out in the first 120 years of Federation.

My Dad was in camp in Singleton with Sydney University Regiment when there were massive floods ~1954. They assisted.

Those university students were deployed to aid the civil authorities - including to help prevent looting. One lad lost his life when a jeep was washed off a low level crossing.

I was in camp in Holsworthy with SUR ~1962 when there were massive floods at Windsor. We were put on notice the first night that we might be redeployed to Windsor to assist with flood relief. Didn’t happen, but was on the cards.

Vitally important to our civil liberties that there can be no capacity to deploy the ADF without a request from the State. That means deployment requires the consent of two governments - a vital safeguard.